Electrical connecter



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Patented Jan. 3, 1939 Gunnar-d W. Jacobson, Chicago, Ill.,v asslgnorIllinois Tool Works, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of IllinoisApplication October 28,- 1935, `Serial No.'47,027

Claims.

This invention relates generally to electrical connecters or terminalsandtor methods o! making same, and more particularly to electricalterminals formed from sheet metal.

5 c It has heretofore been the practice in the manufacture of electricalterminals requiring a button or head at their outer extremities, toproduce such parts from solid round stock as distinguished from flat orsheet stock. It is one of the important objects ofl my invention tomaterially reduce the cost of manufacturing such type of electricalterminals and to this end I propose to manufacture them from iiat sheetsof conductive material. f

l5 More specically, the invention contemplates a simple and practicalmethod of producing electrical terminals having enlarged or headextremities by forming a blank from conductive sheet material and thenshaping this blank to the desired form. y

Still more specically, the invention contemplates an electricalconnecter or terminal in which the head at the free extremity thereof ispresented by a cup shaped section of thin concluetive material asdistinguished from solid head structures heretofore employed.

The foregoing and numerous other objects will be more apparent from thefollowing detailed description yWhen considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Figure lis a side elevational view of an electrical connecter orterminal which'is representativeof one embodiment of `my invention, thesame being disclosed in operative association with an electricalconductory or wire; f

Figure 2` is a plan View of the device as shown in Figure 1; i

Figure 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the device takensubstantially alongk the line Figure 4 is a perspective view of theelectrical connecter or terminal prior toits operative association withan electrical conductor;

Figure 5 is an end elevational view as viewed from the right of Figure4;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along theline 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along theline 'I--l of Figure 1; and

Figure 8 discloses the blank from which the electrical connecter orterminal of the present invention may be formed.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like numerals have been employed todesignate similar parts throughout the variOU Views, it will be (Cl.1734-269) y y seen that my invention contemplates an electricalconnecter or terminal as indicated generally by the numeral III. Theinvention also contemplates novel methods'whereby the connecter I0 maybe produced from sheet or thin conductive material. 5 One methodcontemplated by the present invention whereby my improved electricalterminal may be produced includes the stepv of forming from a sheet ofiiat stock a blank Ia as shown in Figure 8; This blank presents threecon- 10 nected sections indicated generally by the letter v A, theletter B, and the letter C.

In forming or shaping the electrical terminal I0 from theblank Illa, thesections A and B are bent into U-shaped form, the larger section A 15serving to receive the insulated portion I2 ofa' iiexible conductor I4and the smaller section B` serving to receive the electrical conductorproper I6 as clearlyl illustrated'in Figures 1 to 3 inclus1ve.

The section C, which is connected to the section B through the agency ofa neck 'portion I8,

is cupped so as to present a head or button 20, the diameter of the heador button 20 being larger than the section B, and the section B being 25positioned substantially co-axial with said head.

When the electrical connecter or terminal is to be applied vto theiiexible conductor` I4, it is only necessary to place the conductorproper I8 Within the section B and the insulated portion 30 I2 withinthe section A as clearly shown in Figure 3 and then bend the freeextremities of the sections toward each other so as to producecylindrical conductor gripping parts. To securefthese free extremitiesof the U-'shaped sections A and 35 B against relative axial movementwhen clamped against the flexible conductonI provide'each of thesections with complementary tongue and groove configurations, the tonguey22 on one free i extremity of the section A coacting with "a com-*40'panion V-shapedrecess 24 provided inthe other free extremity ofthesection Aj and yaton'gue' -26` on the section B coacting similarly witha recess 28. In this manner the bent together portions of the sections Aand B are positively secured 46 against relative axial displacement. Ifit is desired, the tongues 22 and 26 may be urged slightly inwardly tomore eectively establish frictional contact or connection with theiiexible conductor.

The hollow semi-spherical or cup-shaped head 50 20 functions equally aswell as a solid head or button in establishing electrical contact. It isnot necessary for a clear understanding of the present invention todisclose or describe the electi'lcal socket or terminal receiving devicewith 55 been employed. Furthermore, the ease which my improvedelectrical connecter may be used. It is sumcient to state that thesimpliiied sheet metal device contemplated by the present invention isequally as efficient when in use as solid electrical terminals whichhave heretofore with which my improved electrical terminal may be madeby punches and dies from a small piece of ilat stock greatly reduces thecost of manufacture. While I have disclosed one specific embodiment oithe invention, it will be apparent that other modifications and changesmay be made without departing from the spirit and, scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electrical terminal comprising a member bent to form anintermediate portion adapted to receive a wire, an end portion adaptedto receive insulation about the wire and a dome.

shaped contact portnn at the opposite end, said contact portion beingarranged substantially coaxially with respect to said wire engagingportion and being formed o! sheet metal so that the face opposite saiddome-shaped conilguration is concave, the contact having the concavei'ace presented toward the said intermediate portion, said intermediateand end portions being bendable about the wire and insulation to clampthe same therein, and an integrally formed, relatively narrow strip oisheet metal extending from an edge of the said intermediate portion to apoint adjacent the periphery of the contact porktion whereby to providean integral, unitary member readily capable of being cut and formed fromsheet metal. l

2. An electrical terminal comprising a `sheet metal member bent to forman intermediate portion adapted to receive a wire and to extendsubstantially axially of the wire, an end portion adapted to receiveinsulation about the wire and a contact portion at the opposite endcomprising a sheet metal member distorted outwardly to form asubstantially hemispherical contact member, one face of said sheetcontact member being concave, said hemispherical contact member beingsubstantially co-axial with the longitudinal axes of said intermediateportion and said end portion and having the concave face thereofpresented toward the said end portion, said intermediate portion and endportion being bendable about the wire and insulation to clamp the sametherein, and an integrally formed, relatively narrow strip of sheetmetal extending from an edge oi the said intermediate portion to a pointadjacent the periphery of the contact member whereby to provide anintegral, unitary electrical terminal member readily capable of beingcut and formed from sheet metal.

3. An electrical terminal comprising a sheet metal member bent to form asubstantially U- shaped intermediate portion adapted to receive a wire,and a substantially U-shaped end portion adapted to receive insulationabout the wire and a contact at the opposite end ci' said member, saidcontact being i'ormed outwardly to provide a convex, dome-shapedconnguration, the contact being of sheet metal with one tace thereofconvex. said dome-shaped contact being arranged substantially co-axiallyot the longitudinal axis of said U-shaped portions and with the concaveface presented toward the U-shaped portions and the arms of saidU-shaped portions being bendable about the wire and insulation to clampthe same therein.

4. An electrical terminal comprising a onepiece sheet metal member bentto form a substantially U-shaped intermediate portion adapted to receivea wire, a substantially U-shaped end portion adapted to receiveinsulation about a wire. one leg ci each oi' said U-shaped portionshaving a projection and the otherl leg oi' each U-shaped portion havinga complementary recess to receive said projection, and a contact at' theopposite end of said member, saidcontact being formed outwardly toprovide a convex configuration, the contact being oisheet metal andhaving the interior face thereof of concave configuration, said contactbeing mounted substantially co-axially of the longitudinal axes of saidU-shaped portions and being arranged with its convex face presented awayfrom said U-shaped portions, the arms of said Ushaped portions beingbendable about the wire 4and insulation to clamp the same therein andsaid projections engaging in said complementary recesses to inter` lockthe arms of said U-shaped portions against relative1 axial movement.

5. An electrical terminal formed oi.' an integral piece of sheet metalhaving a longitudinally extending portion bent so as to engage about theend of a wire, and a dome-shaped contact member at one end of saidlongitudinally extending wire-engaging portion, said contact membercomprising a sheet metal piece distorted outwardly to provide asubstantially dome-like convex contact face, the opposite face oi saidsheet member being concave, said dome-shaped contact member beingarranged substantially coaxially of the longitudinal axis of saidlongitudinally vextending wire-engaging portion and having its concaveface presented toward said longitudinally extending member, thelongitudinally extending portion being bendable about the wire to clampthe same thereon, and an integrally i'ormed, relatively narrow strip cisheet metal extending irom an edge of the said longitudinally extendingportion to a point adjacent the periphery oi' the contact member wherebyto provide an integral unitary terminal member capable o! being readilycut and formed from sheet metal.

GUNNARD W. JACOBSON.

